A Face of Change: MLK Day 2020

January 19, 2020 by Todd Easter

Showing on Jan. 19-20, 2020 dates related to MLK events at VCU.

In honor of MLK Day 2020, a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King displays on the Big Screen today. The piece is by Dallas-based illustrator Richie Pope, a former VCU School of the Arts student.

The artwork displaying on the big screen is a cropped version of the Google Doodle commissioned in 2016 by Google. He also designed an image of Frederick Douglass that was featured in February, 2015, for Black History Month. Google Doodles are creative design alterations of Google’s logo on its homepage that are reserved for commemorating holidays and other special occasions. An art director at Google contacted Pope, complimenting his work and offering two Google Doodle assignments.

Now a full-time freelance illustrator, Pope started drawing early in his childhood. “My earliest memories are drawing pictures in the white spaces of my children’s books because I thought that space was for me,” he said.Pope says that his art comes from his subconscious and he tries to not let outside influences distract him. “I draw, consume and repeat,” Pope said. “My work kind of naturally does its thing, which is exciting.”There is a problem-solving aspect that is rewarding to Pope when he draws, “It’s like figuring out a puzzle,” he said. “I also like experimenting from time to time to push my work forward. There’s a bit of searching, in a way.”

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A universitywide planning committee has organized a robust group of programs–including discussions and service projects–during King Week. The week opens Sunday, Jan. 19 with a keynote program and continues Monday, Jan. , 20 with a march and candlelight vigil beginning at The Depot and progressing through campus to the library.

An article by Polina Wells, published in 2015 by University News, contributed to this blog posting. The complete article

Categories Alumni Work, Community, News